Echo
by drummerjon
Summary: 'Echo' is a multi-chapter fic following on from the events of 'Hollyoaks Later 2012'.
1. Echo Chapter 1

The words echoed in his mind.

... _"There's been an accident….. I think it's best if you come immediately"_

Ste had frozen; his phone dropped, his limbs numbed, Doug had now become part of the room, his words and actions redundant.

Ste's thoughts turned to Cheryl, to Brendan's boys, to Eileen, to himself. What would he do in a world without Brendan? How would the boys cope without their father? Who would take care of his baby sister? In that single moment, Ste was broken, not just for his own possible loss, but for those who shared the love of Brendan.

**"You're gonna be okay, you hear me?!"**

**Brendan had been drifting in and out of consciousness, unable to remember anything. He tried to open his eyes, nothing. He focused instead on what he could hear; Cheryl beside fighting with him, the doctors and nurses fighting for him, his own thoughts fighting against him.**

**_You deserve this, this is how it ends. The people who you've hurt in your life deserve this day, your death is their freedom._**

**Brendan was stunned by the fatal honesty of his own mind. Did he really deserve this? All that he had been through as a child paid for all of the bad things in his life, surely?**

**Brendan could feel his hand being held; it was soft, gentle, everything that he had never been, it was Cheryl. He tried to open his eyes for her, nothing.**

Ste burst into the room. He must have run all the way to the hospital, but now he was still, silent, shocked. Before him lay the only person who had every really known him, understood the pain he had felt, been there for him when others hadn't. He thought of the people in his life in recent years; there had been only one constant, the man now lying motionless in front of him, his best friend, the love of his life.

Finally his eyes turned to Cheryl; he embraced her, holding her as tightly as he could. There were no words, nothing that needed to be said.

Then wiping the tears from his face, Ste sat down and held Brendan's hand. Cheryl watched and saw how gentle her great friend was with Brendan. She knew as well as anyone that she couldn't help Brendan now, that role lay with Ste.

She trusted him, and knew that Ste would bring her brother back. With a half-smile towards the two men, she left the room.

**Brendan awoke. He again tried to open his eyes, nothing. There were no sounds now, everything was quiet. He heard the door open and an abrupt stop of previously running feet.**

**The door closed and quiet was restored. Cheryl, who had been sat at his right side, now stood up and walked towards the door. Brendan still heard nothing, but could sense that the silence was significant.**

**Brendan could feel his right hand being held once more, again with the gentleness and softness of Cheryl's, but something was different.**

**The room remained silent for a few more seconds, until the sound of footsteps and the opening and closing of the door marked the fact that Brendan was alone with the person now clutching his right hand. Although he wasn't sure as to who the hand belonged to, Brendan felt no fear; for the first time in what seemed an eternity, he felt at peace. He rested his mind, and let his thoughts wander.**


	2. Echo Chapter 2

Silence.

Ste had been used to being quiet around Brendan, and he had previously liked it, for he had never really liked to let himself be honest with Brendan. He thought it showed a sign of vulnerability, something that only Brendan could bring out of him, some sort of control that he had over Ste. So he instead chose to refrain from words or meaningful conversations with his former lover.

Still silence.

But on this day, in this hospital room, something felt strange. Silence was emptiness, and Ste was desperate for Brendan to not feel alone in this hard time. He had been on his own long enough. It was time to provide him with the opportunity to feel love again, not obsession, love. Ste was convinced that this was the only way to bring Brendan back.

His mind was made up; he would tell Brendan the truth about how he still felt about him, and how he never stopped loving him. This would wake him, it had too.

Concluding his thoughts, Ste looked up to Brendan's face. Memories flashed back of times in the past the two had spent together. How Ste had relied so heavily upon Brendan for his happiness, how Brendan had abused that trust, but ultimately, how the love between the two was unbreakable.

With the memories flooding back, Ste thought again about how alone he would feel without Brendan. Despite the last few months, there had always been a thought in Ste's mind that he and Brendan would find their place in each other's lives one day.

Ste then thought about what Brendan had done for him. How he had provided for him, lied for him, killed for him. It then dawned on Ste that no one had ever loved him quite like Brendan, not even Amy could dedicate as much to Ste as Brendan had.

It was with this thought that Ste deplored the miscarriage of justice for this great man. He deserved to be brilliant, to be loved by everyone around him, to be able to love more than just those who he felt responsible for.

Ste wept for the life that should have been, the person that Brendan Brady should have become.

Ste could no longer face Brendan; the emotions were becoming too overwhelming. He continued to cry.

Ste had successfully taken the silence from the place, but the room felt emptier than ever.


	3. Echo Chapter 3

"I'm afraid his condition has worsened Miss Brady", the nurse stood to Brendan's left, Cheryl to his right.

"Is there anything else we can do?" The life of Cheryl Brady had been a difficult one, with the loss of Steph, Lindsay and her Nana, she knew that having Brendan taken away from her would be one too many loved ones gone, she would simply cease to exist emotionally.

"We can make him comfortable, but unfortunately the rest relies on Brendan".

The nurse briefly rested one hand on Cheryl's shoulder, glanced over at where Brendan lay, then left, leaving the eerie silence of the room for the hustling murmur of the corridors.

**Brendan could hear everything the nurse and Cheryl were discussing. He had heard almost everything that had been said in the room since he had arrived in the hospital, but still he felt helpless, unable to speak or move. He was trapped in what had become his own personal prison, his mind. **

**In what seemed like his fiftieth attempt, Brendan tried to open his eyes, nothing. He knew that unless he was able to summon the physical and mental strength to get himself out of the stranglehold of his own conscience, his eyes would never open again.**

Doug opened the curtains in the bedroom of Ste's flat. The birds were whistling their delightful song, the sun was gleaming and the gentle breeze hugged the branches of the trees. To an outsider it seemed as if the couple were as happy as they had ever been, the reality however was completely different. Ste soon woke and looked up at Doug, their eyes met, nothing.

"Do you err, fancy a bite to eat? Celebrate the engagement properly?" Doug knew he was second best, that was something he had always contended with, and now that they were engaged, something that he had to accept.

"Nah sorry Doug, 'gotta get back to the hospital… You know… To support Cheryl".

They both knew what Ste really meant. Throwing on some clothes and paying little attention to his appearance, Ste left the Doug in the room alone, with the gentle whispering of the autumnal breeze flowing through the window behind him.

"'Iya Chez", Ste placed a soft but lingering kiss on Cheryl's cheek. Cheryl didn't respond with words but smiled briefly back at him, her actions betraying the true emotions that lay within.

"How is he?"

"He's…" Cheryl paused, fighting back the inevitable tears. "They say he's getting worse, there's nothing…" The tears now came. "…nothing more they can do".

Despite the fact that Cheryl was now weeping uncontrollably, Ste couldn't comfort her. Once again his body numbed. Emotions flooded his mind. _Nothing more they can do._

Now he was angry. He punched the wall, startling Cheryl in the process. He looked at his rapidly reddening fist. He thought once more of a life without Brendan, he punched the wall again. And again. Again. Again. All of a sudden he felt himself being dragged out of the room, his fury still uncontrollable. Still he kept punching anything he could see, and screaming, screaming for everyone to hear.

**Brendan stirred abruptly. He could hear a continuous thudding sound, it was getting louder, and more frequent. He then heard the doors opening and many feet entering. He could hear screaming, it was almost a chant, he wasn't quite conscious enough to make sense of the noise. Syllable by syllable however he began to understand what was being said repeatedly. There is was again, and again. And now it was clear.**

"**WAKE UP! WAKE UP! BRENDAN, WAKE UP! PLEASE WAKE UP!" **

**The cries were from a familiar voice, becoming more and more distant. He knew the owner of the voice, but since the explosion his memory had failed to return completely. **

**The screaming was now becoming more and more intense, less organised, less structured.**

**And then it all made sense. The owner of the mystery soft hand, the shouting male voice, it was Stephen, Brendan was sure of it.**

**Brendan responded to the shouting, at first just words that were barely audible. **

"**Stephe… Stephen!" **

**It seemed as if no one had heard. Stephen's cries still rung loud around the hospital. Brendan could feel himself getting stronger, he now had the incentive.**

"**STEPHEN! STEPHEN! STEPHEN! STEPHEN! STEPHEN!" Brendan cried out until his voice became hoarse. Finally he tried to open his eyes, expecting to see a room full of loved ones and doctors, greeting him as he took a big leap in his recovery.**

Instead there was nothing. He hadn't cried out, the machines still beeped as before, Cheryl still clung to his right hand. The male voice had now ceased screaming, and all was calm again.

Silence.


	4. Echo Chapter 4

"Get off me! I'm serious, let go of me or I'll hit you like I hit that wall! All of you!"

Ste was being calmed down outside of the hospital building by various members of the security and counselling teams. He didn't think he ever would calm down, he didn't want to. If Brendan was to die then remaining angry for the rest of his life was the only thing Ste had any intention on doing. Anger was a trait that Ste thought he had left behind, bar a rather hasty episode with a baseball bat, which ironically was the reason of Brendan's last hospital visit. Unlike that time though, Ste knew that this was much more serious, and rather than the twisted satisfaction he gained from Brendan's injuries last time, despair was the current overwhelming feeling for Ste. In his mind Brendan couldn't leave this world, it wasn't his time, not yet.

"We can't let you go back Mr Hay; we need you to settle down for us first."

"Go screw yourself!" Ste cried back, still fighting his way out of the various holds he was presently trapped within.

Sensing the lack of progress, the lead hospital councillor issued for the security team to let go of Ste. Despite being let free, Ste didn't move, instead he looked down at his hands and exhausted legs in brief shock of the outburst that he had just succumbed to.

"We can help you", said the councillor, now gingerly holding Ste's hand in a way that reminded him of how only hours early he had held Brendan's.

"Get off me!" Yelled Ste, the momentum of his anger still clearly lying below the surface of his otherwise timid outward appearance.

The councillor briefly let go, but then took Ste's other hand, the hand that Ste hadn't used to comfort Brendan in the hospital room. Again he repeated softly, "We can help you".

A tear rolled down a cheek on Ste's face, and then another, now one on the other cheek, until suddenly Ste's vision was now completely blurred. He wept. He moved closer to the councillor and gripped him tightly, not really hugging but grasping. He wanted to feel intimacy and for a second, he got his wish.

**Brendan had wondered whether the whole thing was a dream. Had there been a thudding sound? Had someone screamed and begged for him to wake up? Had it really been Stephen? Despite the fact that he hadn't woken up to his loved ones, Brendan felt optimistic. He had remembered who Stephen was, and that in itself was all the motivation he needed. **

_**You're not going to die here. You're going to get out of this. You're going to see Cheryl; you're going to see Stephen. This isn't the end. Believe.**_

**Brendan opened his eyes.**

_Author's Note:_

_The shortness of these opening chapters won't last. When time permits you can expect longer passages of writing! Thank-you for reading so far, keep checking on a daily basis for more instalments. _


	5. Echo Chapter 5

1st October 2012. 11.30pm.

It was a blustery and stormy night. The wind echoed around the dilapidated house, howling in the chilling reflection of the cold moonlight. Such was the isolation of the safe house; the single table lamp that lit the entire downstairs of the great building could be seen flickering from four hundred metres away. Despite the distressing sounds of the wind in the night, there was an eerie hush around the place, causing the man to feel as alone as he had ever previously felt.

There was a knock at the door, then a bellow of wind and thunder around the house. The tall, slim gentleman stood up from where he was sat, and peered outside the window. Nothing.

There was another knock at the door. This time more urgent, more destructive. Again the gentleman looked outside the window for any signs of life, nothing.

Lightning now struck and lit the surrounding areas of the safe house. The slim man tried desperately to take advantage of the brief illumination, yet he could still see nothing. Lightning struck again, this time leaving the immediate environment lit for longer. Once again the gentleman looked around, starting to panic and wonder about what could be coming for him.

Unsatisfied that the knock on the door was caused purely by overpowering wind, the man moved over to the table lamp and switched it off. Darkness. Except from the noise still coming from the crying wind and herculean thunder, the place was quiet. Shivers started to run down the spine of the slim gentleman.

More lightning, this time sending light around the whole house for what seemed like an age. Again the man looked around, ready to pounce on whoever was near. Just as the light was disappearing, the man saw a hooded silhouetted, dressed all in black. The lightning flash expired, once again leaving the house in darkness. Thunder then arrived, leaving the gentleman with long hair alone with his silent enemy.

Fear had now captured the actions and mind of the gentleman.

"Who are you? What do you want?!" Cried the man, there was no response. "C'mon! Come after me!" The invisible enemy still didn't reply.

Instead the hooded silhouette threw one single punch to the side of the slim gentleman's head, disorientating him in the process. Before the man had time to react, another punch had connected with him on the other side of his head. And now continuous barrages started to reign down upon the upper body of the long haired gentleman.

The man lay on the floor, trying to look around for his attacker. Suddenly he felt his legs being picked up; soon he realized that he was being dragged out of the house and into the storm outside. The man started to scream, anticipating his inevitable death. The screaming could do nothing for him now though, no one could near him.

The lightning returned. The gentleman looked up to see the face of his future slayer. Instead of fear, the man couldn't help but feel confused. He wondered how on earth he'd ever got himself into this mess.

In that single moment, on the verge almost certain death, Simon Walker cursed the day he met Brendan Brady.

That was his last thought. Sensing that the time had come to end the life of his victim, the hooded figure raised his weapon and struck the body repeatedly until the screams of pain had subsided.

The deed was done, honour restored. The hooded figure turned swiftly away from the scene and into the rapidly calming storm.


	6. Echo Chapter 6

2nd October 2012. 9am.

Exhausted, Stephen Hay clambered through the front door of his council flat. His clothes drenched, he quickly undressed and threw the garments, memories of what had been before, into the washing machine. No powder. _Shit_, thought Ste; throwing an old tracksuit back on, he slouched back out into the autumn morning towards the village centre.

On his way to the 'Cash n' Carry', Ste thought about the hundreds of identical journeys he had taken every morning in Hollyoaks. He thought about all of the emotions he had felt during this walk; happiness, in the times with his children and first love, Amy; the optimism of starting a new job at Chez Chez and the deep affection in his early experiences with Brendan. His feelings now though were familiar to the horrific period in which he was responsible for bringing suffering to Amy, he felt guilty, and he was shocked to the core of how this guilt could so easily control him.

As Ste rounded the corner to the village centre, he immediately regretted doing so. Stood in front of him was Doug, his supposed lover.

'Hey handsome, rough night?' In the early stages of their relationship, Doug's accent had been a constant form of arousal for Ste, now it served only to pierce through him.

'Err yeah, could say that', said Ste, trying to smile back to his fiancé. He made minimal effort in reciprocating the compulsory kiss that Doug had planted on him.

'Good, I hope it was fun enough to blow off our plans, I was all ready to paint the town red before you cancelled last night'; despite the clear bitterness in Doug's words, Ste chose to ignore it, he couldn't face an argument, not today.

'Yeah sorry, you know how everything is at the moment, Cheryl really needed me to hang out with-'

Ste couldn't finish his sentence, for the volume of Cheryl's screeching.

'STEEEE! STEEE LOVE, STEEE!'

'Cheryl… What's wrong?' In the chaos stirred by his own mind, Ste had forgotten about Brendan in hospital, and was saddened by his ignorance.

'He's… He's awake love, he woke up yesterday', Cheryl could hardly breathe for her running had tired her out.

Ste was speechless, he was overcome with intense relief. Finally he summoned the mental strength to put together a response with all of the questions going through his mind.

'Is he alright? Can he come home now? Can we see him? Do you think-'

Cheryl interrupted her friend. 'Ste love, c'mon, come to the hospital'.

Ste must have run all the way to the hospital and through all of the wards. He had lost Cheryl and Doug, but he didn't care, for this was a moment he had longed for in the last few days. The hope of this moment existing somewhere in the future had kept him going, and had driven his actions.

As he sprinted into Brendan's room, he no longer felt rushed, or pressured, he felt calm. For the first time in days, he felt contented. He let out a relieved sigh.

'Stephen, I was hoping I might see you'.

_AUTHORS NOTE: Apologies for the lack of writing lately. Been very busy. Thanks to all those who remembered the story enough to read this chapter. Please keep reading, I will finish this fic!_


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